Ashes ~ (a TenRose Fanfiction)

Our Bench

~Chapter 29
-Rose's POV (again, sorry. Had to)

***

"Mickey, I need to see you" I say down the receiver to my ex-boyfriend, tapping my foot on the grating if he console.
"What is it?" He asks on that her end of the line.
"The Doctors not well, he was ill last night and he's not properly recovered...I'm worried about him"
"Rose, he's the Doctor. Since when has he not been okay?"
"Plenty of times. He just won't admit it."
"Ah" Mickey says "The Oncoming Storm"
"Or so he says" I sigh "Look, I just wanna see you. There's things I need to...discuss. Including the Doctor being ill"
"Okay, but when will you be here? Your flat I'm guessing?"
"Let's go for the park opposite the estate. 2 O'clock, I'll get the Doctor to drop me"
"Thought he was ill?" Mickey says.
"He was, he's got better, well enough to fly to the estate, but I'm not letting him out"
"Sounds like you're quite the boss of him" I can hear the smile in Mickey's voice.
"Like to think so" I joke, and lean back aghast the jump seat "So you'll be there?"
"Course. But no alien invasions, promise?"
"That's a promise"

***

"I just don't understand why you want to go back there, Rose. We went the other day" The Doctor flicks a few switches on the console.
"I already said, I have to see Mickey"
"But we could go so many places! So many planets and worlds just waiting for us!"
"They can wait a few more days" I say. The Doctor looks a little hurt and I try to ignore it.
"You sure?" He asks, his voice loosing it's enthusiasm.
"Yeah" I swallow "you're sick anyway"
"Not anymore" he says.
"You're recovering, and that counts. So rest. No buts"
"But why do you have to see Mickey?"
"Does it really matter? I just wanna see him, okay?" I shrug.
"Okay" so he sets the coordinates for the Powell estate and not another word is spoke between us.

When I arrive at the park Mickey's already there, and he's sat on "our bench" under the tree by the swing. We used to play games there when we were really young, the bench would always be a sort of castle, and we'd have fun imagining jumping on and off and on to the swing where we could defend any intruders. I smile at the memory and head over. He looks up as I arrive, and we share a big hug.
"Rose" he says happily "Missed you"
"You too!" I say, and hug him a little tighter. But we're soon to separate, and we sit down on the bench together. "How've you been?" I ask with a smile.
"Not bad. You?" His voice is casual.
I shrug "okay I guess. It's the Doctor who's ill"
"So what happened?"
"It's too complicated to explain, but it's to do with the regeneration energy, and he was basically drained so much he's been getting some kind of fever."
"Know what it is?"
"No. But he does. I guess he knows what he's doing" I shrug, there's a few moments of silence before Mickey finally speaks up.
"That's not really why you wanted to see me, is it?" He asks. I look over at him and he smiles lightly "Don't ask how I know, I can read you like a book"
"Okay, so I guess there's a few things" I smile a little.
"Look, Rose. I already know" He grins and I look at him questioningly.
"What?"
"That you're both together and shaggin' each other senseless"
"We're not!" I exclaim, feeling an intense heat rise quickly in my cheeks "Shagging - I mean"
"Come on! What?" Mickey looks surprised.
"It's not like that." I say a little bashfully.
"I'm surprised" he sits back, crossing his arms "I thought you'd have done it at least five times by now"
"Mickey!" I say in a hushed tone, looking around to check that no angry mums aren't giving us death glares.
"What?!" He shrugs "have you kissed him?"
"Yeah" I say, and look away, not wanting to make eye contact.
"That's step one then"
"Mickey" my tone comes out more of a warning.
"Well especially after coming so close to loosing him...." Mickey trails off for a second, then looks over at me "you not wanna do it or something?"
"No! Of course I do" I say a little to quickly. I try to ignore his grin "Shut up. It's just...I'm not even sure he can"
"What do you mean?"
"Well he's not exactly human, what if he can't even....I mean, he's told me about, what was it, "Looming" before, they don't even have sex, Mickey. They just sort of put genes together and grow 'em"
"Who's "they"? Timelords?"
"Yeah!"
"Rose, he may be alien but he's definitely a bloke. No doubt about it"
"How'd you know that?" I say, and pull my coat closer around me in the cold.
"He looks human, plain as day. And if he looks human, he functions like one too. That's all I'm saying" he holds up his hands then shoves them in his pockets.
"I don't think he'd even want to" I say, looking away into the distance, curling myself away into my coat. I feel Mickey's steady gaze on me.
"He loves you, and don't even deny it. He just might be...a bit slower to those sort of thoughts" Mickey shrugs, then puts a hand on my shoulder "Don't worry 'bout it babe"
"But there's something else" I say. He puts his hand back on his lap. "Albany"
"That's the little girl from the island, yeah?"
"She's all alone, Mick. In that care home, and she's lost everyone, no one left. I can't help but feel...responsible"
"She's a nice girl, she'll find a home soon enough, don't worry about it"
"But that's not the point. See, I can't help but feel that...maybe her home is with...me and the Doctor."
There's a moment of silence as Mickey processes this information. "You mean you wanna adopt her?"
"Well...yes. No. Oh, I don't know. I wanted to ask you about it"
"Surely the only person you should be asking is the Doctor"
"What good's that gonna do?" I say.
"You'd get an answer for sure" Mickey says.
"No. I couldn't. Besides, he wouldn't even want kids"
"You're making up his mind for him!" Mickey half laughs "Come on, Rose. If you wanna ask him, just do it"
"What about if he hates me for it?"
"Come on, stop being stupid. He loves you, he's never gonna hate you. Just ask him"
"Fine"